They all had loved ones who were killed while working as police officers.

During her rousing speech, Valdez told the crowd that she was the youngest of eight children brought into a family of migrant workers.

‘When I told my father that I was going to join the police, he got angry. You see, he and my older brothers had been beaten by the police for no legitimate reason.

‘But I stuck with my decision. Years later, whenever I visited, he’d show my badge off to his friends. He saw the good I was doing in my job, and he was proud of me.

‘And I am proud of my fellow officers. When my officers report for duty, they have no idea what might come up that day. When they respond to a domestic violence call, they don’t know whether a relieved victim or an abuser with a gun will answer the door.